


Return to Manufacturer

by RanchDeChloe



Series: jock on jock crime [13]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gavin Reed Backstory, M/M, brief mention of violent police work, brief mention of wireplay, puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 19:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RanchDeChloe/pseuds/RanchDeChloe
Summary: RK900 meets Gavin's parents and spend the weekend in his childhood home with his siblings.It goes as well as expected.





	Return to Manufacturer

**Author's Note:**

> Back from the October monster story break! 
> 
> As always with the 'jock on jock crime stories', they can all be read independently. This is just my take on the boys, organized. 
> 
> This one is about 100% fluffier than I normally do, please enjoy.

Gavin tries to get the timing perfect.

He’s curled around RK900, hand tucked into his torso, lazily stroking a twist of wires that causes RK900 to twitch with the aftershocks of an orgasm Gavin can’t even begin to understand. He draws his tongue over the expose patch of white plate at his throat. 

RK900 is pliant and quite with bliss, Gavin’s jaw is sore with how long he’s been working to get him here. 

There is a tiny faint beep from inside RK900’s torso that Gavin knows is a warning; RK900 will need to enter stasis and cool down his whole system.

He has about 2 minutes to make his sales pitch.

“R? still with me?”

RK900 manages to open his eye and look down at him.

“There is something I’d like to ask you… would you come do something with me next weekend?”

The neutral expression becomes incredulous. 

“I could use some back up is all and you’re good at back up”.

The stare is unblinking.

“Please?” He asks softly, pressing a kiss to that white spot on his throat.

RK900 sigh sounds like static “Fine. Where?”

“My parents. Mom has a birthday and I’ll be the biggest asshole if I’m not there”.

RK900 closes his eyes and groans, pulling a pillow over his head.

“You honestly want me to meet your parents?” R’s voice is rough and distant, like an old car speaker.

“Going alone sucks. I don’t …. It’s hard there”.

RK900 gives him a weak pat on the hip before promptly slipping into stasis.

Gavin smiles to himself, smug with victory.

—-

They take an automated taxi, their bags at their feet, a tidy wrapped package sits on RK900’s lap.

“I can’t believe you got her a gift”.

“You are the one who invited me to attend not only a birthday party but to spend the weekend in their home, I am surprised you don’t have a gift of your own to give your mother”.

RK900 adjusts the trim white bow, scanning the box to make sure the small crystal bud vase hasn’t cracked. Multiple etiquette guides he referenced said it would make a lovely gift for an older woman he’s never met.

“I’m too old to be buying my damn mommy gifts, jesus” Gavin grouses, laying his head against the window.  
RK900 starts to compile a list of possible reason’s for Gavin’s behavior. Perhaps there has been a recent fight between mother and son. Maybe they disagreed about Gavin’s dangerous choice of profession. It is possible that most of Gavin’s personality flaws could be accounted for if he had childhood trauma rooted in a poor parental relationship.

He sets a mission for himself to explore a bit of the detective’s past and discover possible sources of behavioral issues while he’s attending Gavin’s family function over the weekend. 

RK900 watches Gavin pick at a hole on the sleeve of his jacket, a destructive nervous tick.

“Are you upset about something with your parents?”

Gavin grunts and there is an audible rip as he tugs at the hole.

RK900 fights the irrational impulse to roll his eyes.

RK watches the scenery, the affluent suburb, green with trees and massive yards with neat modern houses. 

“Were you raised here?”

“Yeah” Gavin sighs.

RK900 thinks back to Gavin’s shitty little miserable apartment which is quite the contrast to massive polished pastel colored homes, all half hidden by endless driveways, flowering trees, & thick green hedges.

Gavin leans forward to fiddle with the radio, growling at the offered playlist of top 40 pop hits.

RK900 smoothes the crisp edges of the shiny peachy-pink paper, making sure the folds are neat.

They turn up a white gravel driveway, the taxi coming to a stop, the automated voice telling them they have reached their destination. 

Gavin steels himself with a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before grabbing his bag and getting out, followed by RK.

A short round woman with salt and pepper hair hurries from the front door, “Gavin!”

RK900’s scan tells him she’s Morgan Reed, age 60, no criminal record, licensed psychiatrist, and Gavin’s mother.

She pulls Gavin into a tight hug and Gavin gives her a light few pats on the back, pressing a quick kiss to the side of her face, “Hey Ma”.  
RK900 notes that Gavin’s stress level rises.

She smiles brightly and touches her son’s face, “It’s been too long, I’m so glad you came, I know the DPD keeps you so busy! Who is this fellow?”

She smiles at RK900, completely relaxed and trusting. RK feels a touch uncomfortable himself, he’s not used to such expression’s being directed at him.

He extends his hand, “I’m RK900”.

She glances at his LED before blushing, laughing, “Silly me” she taps her own temple, “Didn’t notice”.

Gavin kicks some gravel, “He’s my partner”.

Her head whips to her son, “Partner kind of partner?” she sounds hopeful.

“Work partner” Gavin shrugs, “He got dumped on me by the captain, its a whole thing”.

She turns back to RK900, “Well, Gavin didn’t say he was bringing a friend, I would have made up another bedroom”.

“It’s fine ma’am, I don’t require sleep”. He extends the tiny pink package to her and she takes it graciously. “Happy Birthday”.

“It’s from us” Gavin mumbles.

“No it isn’t, I purchased it myself” RK900 corrects, looking down his nose at Gavin.

She shakes her head with a kind of fondness and looks up at R, “Well it’s very sweet, and to think I haven’t introduced myself properly, I’m Morgan, let’s get you boys inside, everyone else is already here”.

She takes the box and hurries inside, RK following after dutifully, and Gavin drags his feet to follow.

The foyer is sunny and clean and the cheery voices of family are distant. RK900 takes off his dress shoes, Gavin just tracks in dirt. Morgan leads the way to a grand kitchen which is full of other people.

RK900 identifies Gavin’s Father and siblings but Morgan is just as happy to introduce him.

“Gavin brought his…. police partner, RK900, he’s an android, isn’t that neat? RK900 this is my husband Marty, my son Reese, and my Daughters Gwen and Merry”.

Gavin’s father is a third of an inch taller than RK900, his face carved with smile lines behind silver glasses, he shakes R’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Reed”.

“Aw, come on, Marty is fine, I get enough Mr. Reed at the college”.

He’s gently ushered to the next waiting hand, Gavin’s brother sets off an interesting alert on his hud.

“You were one of my designers” RK900 states.

“No no no, that’s over selling it, but I had a hand in designing the ventilation systems on all models that came out after 2036. Till all the paperwork is cleared up from, well, you know, I’m essentially retired, not a bad life. Plenty of time for golf. Nice to meet you, RK900”.

The women’s attention is divided between R and the tiny puppy in the older woman’s arms. Gavin’s older sister smiles, “Sorry, couldn’t leave this little guy at home, my husband and the kids are at his parents and the in-laws aren’t dog people, can you imagine?”. 

The younger woman is busy playing with the golden retriever’s ears, RK900’s scan notes she’s a registered student at the local medical school.

Gavin finally drags himself in, “Hey”.

The younger woman finally perks up, rushing over to hug him with the same enthusiasm his mother showed.

“Hey Mer” He finally warms up a little, hugging back with more effort. 

His family crowds him, quick to pass him from hug to hug. They all comment that they haven’t seem him in quite some time. RK900 notes that all besides Gavin’s father share the same stone colored eyes.

It also becomes crystal clear that besides his mother, Gavin is the shortest person in the room by a notable margin.

Morgan nudges her youngest daughter’s shoulder, “Kiddo, take your brother and his friend’s bags up to Gavin’s room”.

She takes them and waggles her eyebrows at her brother, “You finally found someone to willingly date you?” She teases.

“Shut it” Gavin glares. She laughs it off but RK900 elbows him anyway.

Gwen notes she has to take the puppy on a walk now if they want any peace before dinner and Her older brother offers to go with her. 

Morgan unwraps R’s gift, and coos with delight, her husband offering to go cut a flower at it. She moves on to removing food from the fridge. There seems to be a lot of work needed to feed this many humans.

“May I be of help?” R offers.   
“Oh, you’re a guest, you can just sit down and relax” She smiles, “Now Gavin, if you wouldn’t mind helping me peel some carrots”

Gavin slumps but dutifully trudges to work over the sink.

Morgan offers to make him a cup of tea which R declines, She must not have met many androids. R sits on a stool near where Gavin starts to work.

Gavin’s parents ask about their work. They seem sincerely interested. RK900 offers polite descriptions of less miserable cases and their recent work trip till Gavin starts telling them about how they found a head in a restaurant freezer 3 weeks ago. It’s an obvious attempt to upset them and the room gets tense.

It’s times like this he harbors a tiny thread of jealousy for his prototype’s unique and complex negotiator programs. 

Morgan attempts to ease things, “Well we’re glad we have boys like you to protect us”.

Gavin is sullen and quite.

Gavin’s mood does not improve as his family members slowly file back in, chatting around him, working on the collective project of a family meal.

RK900 eventually nudges him from the sink, taking over the vegetable cleaning duties so hopefully Gavin feels more inclined to chat. Instead Gavin busies himself with getting a beer from the fridge and becoming a wallflower. 

Sitting at the dinner table isn’t much better. RK900 listens as the family shares stories of medical school (Merry plans on becoming a surgeon), vacations (Reese just got back from Rome), and Children (Gwen’s kids have all joined sports teams this year). Gavin has nothing to add, pushing food around his plate and tearing up his paper napkin, letting shreds of paper fall to the floor beneath him. RK900 does his best to offer responses but frankly he doesn’t have a lot of personal experience to offer on the topics.

After dinner, R offers to wash dishes with Gavin’s father to allow Gavin and his siblings more time to talk over cake and coffee.

Gavin’s dad offers to set up the rec room for RK900, “Since you don’t really sleep and all, you could enjoy some TV, we have a pinball machine, some older nintendo systems from when the kids were young”.

“Thank you Sir-“

“Marty”

“Marty, but I’m fine with sharing a room with Gavin, he’s used to my presence”.

Marty gives him a look, “I know Gavin can be a little closed off but I think you boys are more than partners? Anyone got a ring on their fingers?” He teases lightly. 

“That’s one way to say it but no, no rings”. He doesn’t want to put a name to what they have.

“Well, I’m glad he has someone looking out for him, he can be so quiet”.

“I confess Gavin is rarely this quiet at work”.

“Really? He’s never been a chatterbox, I’m glad he’s finally making friends”.

RK900 doesn’t correct him about the nature of Gavin’s big mouth.

“His mom and I are so proud of him but the work seems so hard, we so rarely get to see him and he’s not one to call. We worry, heck, He still lived at home when he just started on the force. His first day he comes home in the middle of the night with his whole nose bandaged up, 15 stitches in his face, Scared us to death”.

RK900 is familiar with the injury on Gavin’s record. Tripped while running after a suspect on his first day, tore his face open on a cement curb, broke his nose. Left a heavy scar. Officer Chen has a small photo that day on her desk cork-board, a gruesome trophy. Young Gavin Reed frowning at the camera in an ER, blood down his face, giving the other young officer behind the camera the finger. He can trace their friendship to being hired on the same day and Chen’s near sadistic amusement in Reed’s lack of self preservation. He’s seen her dare him to jump off all sorts of things and Gavin never says no. RK900 respects her.

“He’s very resilient” RK900 offers in comfort, “he just had his cast removed a whole week early and I’ve made sure he’s been doing his physical therapy. He’s very sturdy”.

Marty looks at him, eyes wide with horror.

Gavin never called to tell them.

“Really, it was nothing” RK900 shrugs, keeping a calm face.

Marty’s stress level skyrockets, “Don’t tell Morgan, she’ll want to know all about it and she doesn’t need that kind of stress on her birthday, you know? Jeez”.

RK900 tries to defuse the moment, “I promise, if it was truly life threatening the DPD would alert your family. Gavin is accident prone, but he recovers fast.”

Marty wipes his hands on a kitchen towel before patting RK900 on the back, “Well we know that, Gavin used to go though a whole box of bandages a week when he was little. His pediatrician used to make us feel terrible, let we were not watching him close enough but we just couldn’t keep him out of trees or out of scrapes on the playground”.

All of RK900’s readings show true distress at the memory, and he quietly crosses off neglect or the use of parental physical punishment off his mental list of sources for Gavin’s bad behavior. 

“The kid holds the family record for broken bones. I don’t think we have a single school photo where he doesn’t some sort of visible bandage on his face, a cast, of a dang missing tooth… that boy’s dental bills used to be a nightmare. We tried to find more gentle indoor activities for him to engage in but… well, Gavin’s a real firecracker”.

Marty wipes his glasses on his polo shirt, “I can finish up in here, why don’t you go check up on everyone”.

RK900 follows the voices back to the dining room but Gavin has already excused himself, his youngest sister nodding up the stairs, “He went to bed early, last door on the left up stairs”. RK900 nods and offers his thanks for the company and a good night before heading up to Gavin’s room.

Gavin is flopped face down on his bed.

The room is neat and tidy, fresh linens on the bed, relatively dust free with no obvious fading on the paint or furniture. This was not the preserved shrine of a childhood bedroom some human parents kept. Still, there are hints to it’s past occupant. Photos on the walls of a young Gavin in a disheveled karate uniform clinging to a 5th place trophy. Gavin in a muddy soccer uniform with his arm around another boy’s neck, his smile displaying missing teeth. Gavin with facial piercings next to a girl in a cherry colored prom dress. Gavin, with his hair dyed blue in a police academy sweatshirt. Childhood awards and tokens of some mysteries importance line shelves. 

Gavin mumbles into the bedding, “Sorry, I know this shits the worst”.

“Your family is very kind, I have no reason to seek an apology” R sits on the edge of the bed.

Gavin groans and rolls over, “They are boring hoity-toity suburbanites.”

“Possibly so, but they seem very welcoming. They are still talking downstairs”.

“I had enough of listening to them brag”.

RK900 processes, “I wasn't aware of bragging”

“What else do you call it, they all came over just to talk about how great all their lives are and how their shit doesn’t stink”.

It seems to R that he and Gavin interpreted the night very differently.

“You could have shared your own current activities and successes”.

“Yeah, catching that fuck who killed 3 teens really ranks up there with a roman holiday and god damn puppies”.

“You received a personal call of thanks from the mayor for your work on that case. Not to mention you were part of the early integration of working with deviant androids, some humans would find that interesting” RK900 snuggly points out.  
“I was forced to work with you as punishment”.

“Framing, Gavin”. RK900 pinches Gavin’s thigh through his jeans in retaliation. 

Gavin doesn’t even react to RK900’s disappointment. 

RK900 hates to admit when he’s clueless but he must know, “Why do you dislike your family so much?”

Gavin rolls over and looks up, “I don’t hate em or anything… they are just frustrating to be around. It’s no fun feeling like the black sheep. Not that you would know unless there were some awkward holiday dinners back at the assembly line that spit you out”.

RK900 stiffens up, “I have family, Reed”.

“Hank’s lapdog doesn’t count. You weren’t raised together”.

“I wasn’t raised anywhere, I didn’t have the opportunity for developmental bonding with siblings over years of nurtured development in a familial unit” R states flatly. 

Gavin gets a guilty look on his face, “Here I am being an asshole about feeling like an outsider and you don’t even got a mom to be embarrassed by”.

“I have a maternal figure but she’s a puppet copy of my original handler AI that my programming created to comfort me. She lives in what could be considered my dreams. Her design was based on a dead woman”.

“Fuck” Gavin sighs.

“Fuck, indeed”.

Gavin rubs his face, “Fine, maybe you do know, this shit isn’t easy”.

“Part of my initial design was to complete the mission of disabling and destroying RK800 but that part of me crumbled when cyberlife fell”.

“I GET IT. Your family is weirder. You can make me spend the weekend being nice to a laptop, an industrial arm, your ghost mom, and fucking Connor in an old cyberlife warehouse, sorry I said anything”.

RK900 redirects the conversation. “I don’t need you to spend the weekend with Connor. I would just like you to explain to me why you are the black sheep. They all seem to love you”.

“They just fit together I guess. They match. I don’t. I was never a straight A student or a social butterfly or like…. nice”.

“Well that’s true”.

“Thanks asshole”.

R rolls his eyes.

“Do you really see me wanting to spend every waking moment with those smiling fucks down stairs?”

“Yes I do. Your parents want you to be happy. Your siblings seem like they care about you. It’s nice to be around people who are fond of you”.

“Uggghhh” Gavin groans before scooting around and laying his head in R’s lap, seeking attention.

“If you are looking to initiate sexual congress, You should be aware that I left my upgrades at home. I soundly refuse to fuck in your childhood bed”.

“UGGGHHHH”.

“I didn’t assume that I’d need them, healthy human behavior dictates a natural discomfort to participate in sex anywhere near family”.

“UggghhhhhHHHHHHhhhaaa” Gavin rolls back off RK900’s lap, rubbing his face. “No fun, not sex, this sucks”.

“You are so useless” R sighs, scooting back to sit against the headboard, “Come here, idiot”.

Gavin looks up at him, looking pathetic.

“Pouting doesn’t suit you, Reed”.

Gavin lays their like a slug.

Nine levels a painfully neutral glare at him. He finally peels himself up and curls up in R’s lap. R wraps an arm around him, tucking his hand under his shirt and petting his stomach. His touch is light, tracing over muscle and fine hairs. 900 slides his other hand around Gavin’s throat, his touch just as light, getting a clear read of his pulse. Gavin closes his eyes, laying his head back on R’s shoulder, already breathing easier.

R strokes his adam’s apple with his thumb.

Gavin sighs softly, “I don’t know why you put up with me”.

“Mysteries of the universe” RK900 shrugs, “Try to get some rest. Tomorrow you will behave and participate in activities with your family. You’ll feel better for doing it”.

Gavin makes an annoyed growl.

“Don’t start” He lightly pinches his stomach before returning to gentle touching, monitoring his dropping stress level.

Once he reaches an acceptable level, he prods him to get up and change into pajamas, getting up to change into his own before tucking them both under the covers.

RK900 doesn’t both entering into stasis, instead monitoring Gavin’s vitals and sleep cycle through the night. He sleeps in fits and starts, grumbling and snoring, curling in tightly to his android partner. 

In the early hours of the morning, RK900 follows the noises of the waking members of the family, reconstructing their movements. He nudges Gavin, keeping his voice low, “Your family is assembling for breakfast. We should meet them”.

Gavin snuggles in tighter, his face scrunching up.

“Up”.

Gavin grunts.

“I will carry you downstairs over my shoulder and you will be humiliated in front of your family”.  
Gavin has no doubts that RK900 does not make idle threats. He mumbles into RK900’s pajamas, “Gimmie a minute to get up and piss”.

RK900 stops pushing and Gavin forces himself to sit up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

—-

Breakfast is a quiet and sleepy affair, not being a cheery morning person seems to be one of the few unanimous Reed family traits. They are informed that the Saturday will be spent keeping themselves busy till they collectively depart for a fancy meal at swanky restaurant. RK900 sticks behind again to help clean the kitchen with Gavin’s mother, letting the siblings herd themselves to the rec room to keep themselves busy with games.

Gavin’s frustrated competitive yells are audible only 17 minutes into game time. Morgan sighs, “Oh dear”.

RK900 helps put away the dried dishes, as Morgan looks nervously down the hall, “Poor Boy… Is he still as competitive as he’s always been? Not that I assume your job has a lot of room for fun and games”.

“Gavin is extremely competitive, it’s a benefit. He does not like to fail or to be bested which is a strong benefit for a detective”.

“I don’t know if an officer can benefit from anger issues” He eyebrows raise and her face flushes red, “Don’t listen to me, I’m a terrible pill in the morning, he’s a sweet boy but I worry he’ll go to far, you know?”  
“I do, but as his partner I am tasked with ensuring that we both maintain a professional and safe environment as we work, I feel I can be too analytical but that part of me tempers his… more destructive urges”.

She holds her finger to her lip, a gesture of silence, before winking, “Well just between us I’m glad, do you like flowers? I could use to water the back garden”. 

He allows himself to smile, “I enjoy flora, let me accompany you”. She leads the way to a back porch and its clear she takes pride in the riot of color. He offers to do most of the work, lightly prying for more information as he handles the garden hose, “How did your and his father deal with all that competitive energy of his”.

“You are too polite. We did our best. We tried anger management youth groups, yoga summer camps, getting him to try painting but that just wasn’t his scene. We switched to competitive sports and karate which was better but he was always just a skinny little thing. He Was never a natural athlete like some of the other kids. As a teen he got heavily into working out which honestly was the most healthy outlet he ever found. I wish he would have found a little safer career but I guess I’m not surprised. Why did you want to be on the police force?”

“I was designed for military and law enforcement so it only made sense to work with my design, not against it”.

“Oh” she smiles and nods, leaning over to pull a slug off a flowering bush, “Well, as long as you’re happy”.

“Your son and I are a good team and my position allows me to work closely with my only family”.

“I didn’t know androids had families”.

“I have a pseudo brother. We share a design and we are close”.  
“Now that’s sweet, it must be a dream to work with family”.

RK900 closes his eyes for a moment, looking over what he knows about Gavin’s mom. She knows so little about his kind. “Your family never purchased an android, did they?”

She giggles nervously, “Oh heaven’s no, not at all, I get to emotionally attached to things and I cry when my phone bricks, I would have got too attached… Well, now that I think about it I guess I wasn’t wrong, it would have been right to care about an android’s feelings but… well, you know, I guess. oh thank goodness a distraction”.

She scoops up her daughter’s new puppy who must have followed them out and was chewing on her shoe. RK900 looks over the puppy’s collar, “Is ‘Biscuit’ allowed to be out here?”. He looks back to the house and the backdoor is barely cracked. The dog made a break for it.

“Oh I’m sure he’s fine, its not like he can get over the fence, the naughty boy” She pets his back and the puppy squirms and wags in her arms. She sets him back and the dog rockets himself around the yard. RK900 cocks his head.

—

After a few brutal hours of ‘mario kart 17’, Gavin and his siblings seek out their parents. Mom and dad are sat on the pouch, 3 glasses of lemonade between them.

RK900 sits in the grass, the puppy siting still and attentive in front of him. RK900 is delighted at how quickly the puppy takes to commands alike ‘sit’, ‘stay’, and ‘speak’. This puppy is a faster learner than Gavin. RK900 would die for Biscuit. 

Gavin shakes his head as his siblings join his partner in the yard. RK900 is happy to show off his dog training success. Of course RK900 who was basically a gun with legs would somehow manage to charm his entire family. Oh well. Gavin is used to being the odd man out.

—-

RK900’s LED is stuck on yellow as they sit int a taxi on the way to Gavin’s mother’s birthday dinner.

Gavin gives it a light tap, “What’s up? My family finally break you?”

“Why did you want to be a police officer?”

Gavin shrugs, “Just worked out”.

“You don’t have the disposition for it. You are quick to anger and you are easily-emotionally-invested in cases. You didn’t have a childhood ambition for heroism. Frankly, you simply hate most people”.

“I like kicking ass”.

“that is in no way a healthy reason to become an officer”

“well it’s too late to get into construction or mortuary school” Gavin sighs.

“I’m being serious” R glowers.

“I know you are dude, I just don’t have a solid answer. After school I looked at what I was good at. Running. Hyper focusing on something that pissed me off. Taking a punch and getting back up. It was a coin flip for police or army.”

“With that logic you could have become a kick boxer or stunt man”.

Gavin shrugs again.

“I am assuming your absolute lack of self preservation influenced your decision as well”.

Gavin turns to look out the window, hiding his face. RK900 hit too close to the truth.

“I made a mistake”.

Gavin snorts “You don’t make mistakes”.

“I mentioned to your father that you were injured in the line of duty. I didn’t know that you did not inform them”.

Gavin looks back at him, obviously annoyed, “What the fuck, R?”

“My point is that he was alarmed. Your family cares about your well being. You would be mourned if you were lost. I do not wish for you to throw yourself into danger either. Majority vote dictates that you should look after yourself more carefully while investing more attention in your family. Call them once in a while”.

“You are a fucking softie” Gavin rolls his eyes, “A fucking asshole, but a softie”.

Gavin reaches over and squeezes R’s hand.

RK900 doesn’t push beyond that, he knows he’s been heard.

—

 

Dinner was lovely. Everyone enjoyed the meal and didn’t make RK900 feel out of place for not eating. Gavin’s mother even stubbornly ordered him a glass of champagne like everyone else. He did stick his finger in it to give it a full chemical analysis to not totally waste it. Gavin finally opened up a little, telling far more charming work stories that get his family to laugh. 

Something else the whole Reed clan has in common is the ability to put alcohol away. Glasses of wine become cocktails, cocktails are switched for Irish coffee. RK900 is glad everyone took or rented an automated vehicle. RK900 attempts to be a gentleman, helping keep both of Gavin’s sisters upright by giving them each an arm as they walk out. His parents lean against each other, giggling and delighted. 

Gavin and his brother are a wobbly mess, elbowing each other like children.

They cluster on the side of the building, waiting for taxis. Gavin and Reese get louder and louder.

“Stop pushing!”

“You started it!”

“What the hell?”

“Fuck you, dickweed!”

Gain gets shoved away and trips over his own feet before landing on his ass against the asphalt. 

“Boys! cut it out!” Morgan slurs.There are no heat to the words. This must be part of the family routine. 

Gavin is quick to peel himself up, tossing himself at his brother in the packing lot. The two end up tangled up on the ground, grunting and trying to get the upper hand. Eventually Gavin gets one over on him, throwing himself on top of his brother, accidentally whacking himself in the face with a car door mirror in the meantime. He sits on his brother’s back, pinning his arms behind his back.

“YOU ASSAULTED A COP, YOU ASSHOLE!”

“Gav, honey, get off Reese” Marty calls over.

Merry hides her face against RK900’s shoulder, muffling her giggles.

A scan confirms Gavin gave himself one hell of a black eye.

“That’s my fucking idiot” R murmurs, sounding fond.

Both of his sisters break out into cackles.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, david cage isn't fit to eat my garbage out of a wendy's dumpster.


End file.
